Every form of medicine is an alternative...to some other form of it. What is conventionally accepted, however, varies widely from place to place, and that is dependent largely upon cultural notions...and existing hierarchichal power structures. There are a number of forms of medicine which are considered normal and conventional in Europe or Asia, for example, but are not in the USA...or are even illegal in the USA, despite having gained wide acceptance in equally civilized and advanced societies elsewhere.